Golden Tigers place 4th in SSAC Cross Country championships

The Brenau University cross country team completed one of its best seasons in years this past weekend, placing fourth in the Southern States Athletic Conference championships in Mississippi.

The 5K race was held at the Choctaw Trails course on the campus of Mississippi College with 12 conference teams attending. Coach Susan McIntyre's team outlasted seven of them, with a team score of 99 points.

The first runner to cross the finish line for Brenau was sophomore Brittany Aikens, placing second out of 91 runners with a time of 19 minutes 12 seconds. Aikens has been named SSAC runner of the week three times this season. Junior Ana Lopera finished second for the Golden Tigers (18th overall) with a personal best time of 20:31. Freshman Alyssa Sale, recovering from a leg injury, placed third for the Tigers (20th overall) with a time of 20:36.

Brenau will complete their season by sending Aikens to Vancouver, Wash., for the NAIA national cross-country championships on Nov. 17.